Dana Hajaj

My AHRC-TECHNE funded practice-based PhD investigates the lived experiences of British Arab performers in the UK. Using an interdisciplinary approach that combines critical analysis, interviews, autoethnography, and screenwriting, the research aims to challenge dominant narratives and industry practices.

I am exploring the historical and ongoing images of Arabs in British film and television, examining the relationship between the lived experiences of British Arab performers and their on-screen representations. Alongside this, I am developing a female-led, autoethnographic TV drama mini-series that bridges the gap between critical analysis and creative practice.

The drama focuses on female performers, who often face distinctive challenges and added discrimination due to the intersections of gender, ethnicity, and class. The aim is to create a more nuanced, heterogeneous counter-story that challenges prevailing characterisations, explores the complexities of the British Arab performer experience, and highlights the diverse range of roles and representations that could—and should—exist within British mainstream television, but which sadly remain largely unseen.

In doing so, I hope to raise awareness and expand understanding of British Arab representation in UK film and television, with the aim of helping to change the opportunities available to British Arab performers.

I hold a First-Class Honours degree in Humanities with Creative Writing and an MA in Screenwriting from UAL, London. In addition to my academic qualifications, I bring professional experience as an actor (trained at the Identity School of Acting) and as a writer, script reader, and filmmaker.

My research interests include autoethnography, screenwriting, British Arab performers, hybridity and identity, postcolonialism, postmodernism, performative authenticity and writing, Arab screen representation and stereotypes, and diversity and employment practices within the UK creative industries.